Leftover paint scheme ‘protecting the planet’

RESIDENTS in the Mid Ulster area are being urged to help to protect the planet by participating in the local council’s Paint Reuse Scheme.

Chair of Mid Ulster Council, Cllr Dominic Molloy, said, “The paint reuse scheme in Mid Ulster offers a simple, local solution to the problem of waste paint.

“By reusing leftover paint in our community, we can bring a splash of colour to the lives of those who need it the most and help to protect the planet by preventing perfectly good paint from being disposed of.”

Having joined the ‘Community RePaint’ network in July, the Council has organised a paint drop-off and collection point on-site at the local Cookstown Recycling Centre.

This enables residents to drop off their leftover paint and collect reusable paint for free for household DIY and community projects.

When you drop off your unwanted paint, staff will assess the paint and check whether it is in a good enough condition to be reused.

Once approved, the paint will be placed into a dedicated area where residents in the area and local community groups can avail of it free-of-charge.

With an estimated 50 million litres of paint going to waste each year in the UK, Mid Ulster District Council have welcomed this scheme saying that it ‘certainly makes sense’.

While visiting the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) to pick up the paint, you will need to sign a disclaimer and provide some details while there. This is to keep a record of where the paint is going, and to ensure compliance with legal reporting requirements.

If you are not happy with the quality of the paint you have collected, please bring it back to the HWRC for recycling.